Miami Dade College’s School of Education hosted a completion ceremony for its 2023 graduates on Tuesday, April 18, at Padrón Campus in Little Havana, including the first graduating class of teacher candidate residents.
The event included a pinning ceremony and opening remarks by MDC President Madeline Pumariega. The keynote speaker was Erika Twani, CEO and co-founder of Learning One to One, TEDx Speaker and author. In addition, several students shared their stories and experience in the classroom, both as students and teachers.
Last year, MDC and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) launched the Teacher Candidate Residency Program, a collaborative partnership to address the local teacher shortage and establish teaching pipelines. The first class of graduates from the program will be honored at the completion ceremony, along with over 37 graduates from various programs, including bachelor’s in early childhood education, K-12 exceptional student education, secondary mathematics and the Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) Program.